When In Rome
by Politics.and.Prose
Summary: Hermione and Draco are partner Aurors on a secret mission in Italy. Follow them as they follow two men throughout Rome.


"Adam," she giggled into his lips as they descended onto hers again. "We're in public."

"Sorry, baby. I just can't help it," he responded as he kissed her again.

Adam Duncan and Kasey Winters looked like a happy couple from America on holiday in Italy. But things weren't always as they seemed. Though their looks had been significantly modified, the 5'9", dark-haired, green-eyed Adam Duncan was none other than the 6'1", silver-blonde haired, gray-eyed Draco Malfoy; and the 5'7", straight auburn-haired, blue-eyed Kasey Winters was actually the 5'5", bushy brown-haired, brown-eyed Hermione Granger.

Hermione and Draco had been thrust together as partners at the Bristol Auror Academy (BAA, which Draco usually made a sheep sound when telling people where he was trained). They had been reluctant at first but they were soon able to see what all of their instructors and trainers could see: despite their differences and mutual dislike for one another, they made one hell of a team. As time went on, they grew to be friends and worked even better together. So when this mission came up, shortly after Hermione's 22nd birthday, it was an easy guess which two would be getting it. Their mission was to go to Italy and collect as much information as they could on a particular renegade group operating in Rome. No one, not even the Italian Ministry, knew they were there. Everything had to be hush-hush.

As Draco's hands roamed down her body - in the middle of the square, no less - she couldn't help but think: _this is new_. "Adam," she giggled again. "We don't want all the other people seeing this."

"Come on, Kasey. You know what they say ... When in Rome ..."

"Do as the Romans do," she finished with a smile. "But I don't think you want to take a public bath with a whole bunch of other men." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Though I wouldn't mind watching that."

"I'll bet you wouldn't," he growled seductively as he leaned in closer. He whispered to her, "Garcia and Ciccione are behind you at 2 o'clock." He bent her backwards and placed his lips on hers again, his eyes wide open and watching the movements of the two men. He got distracted and his eyes slipped shut, however, when Hermione's arms moved around his neck - in the interest of balance, of course - and she moaned before deepening the kiss.

She didn't know what made her do it. All she knew was that something had snapped inside of her and she was no longer seeing Adam Duncan; she was seeing Draco Malfoy and she liked what she saw. His sweet and sexy seduction style had won her over without her even realizing it - and without him knowing he was doing it. They had been partners for nearly four years and she hadn't seen the real chemistry between them until the day they arrived in Rome.

----

_"Only one bed?" she exclaimed. "How could you have booked only one bed?"_

"Calm down, Granger. I didn't book it. Captain Luther did. We're adults though. I'm sure we can work this out to both of our benefits," he said as he stepped closer.

As soon as he got into her personal space she felt a jolt of electricity. It built between them and then shot through her with a quickness she never could have imagined. She took a step closer and he was about to lower his head to hers when their superior's face suddenly appeared in the fireplace.

"Ahh! Granger and Malfoy ... don't start fighting now. You have twenty minutes before your first day begins. Quickly change into your new identities and get ready to go. I will be back at 10 o'clock this evening to get your report. Best of luck!" And he was gone.

"Bloody idiot," he swore as he took out the potion he would have to drink to change his voice and appearance. He drank quickly and before her eyes, Draco Malfoy turned into Adam Duncan.

Hermione sighed inwardly and, for some reason, she thought she preferred Draco to Adam. But Adam was her lover. Draco was her partner. She grabbed a vile herself and downed it. She quickly turned into Kasey Winters.

Draco stepped closer to her, his hands coming to rest on her hips. "We have to make sure we're compatible," he said as he leaned down and touched his lips to hers.

Compatible was hardly enough to describe this kiss. It quickly became obvious to both of them that if they didn't stop in that moment, they would never be able to make it out to the first attraction that day. Draco groaned as he pulled back. "Okay. So, I can't see where there would be any problem there."

Hermione couldn't talk. She just shook her head dumbly before she disapparated.

Draco took a deep breath before following her.

----

Nothing private had happened since then. They upgraded to a suite and Draco made it clear he didn't mind sleeping on the couch. Hermione couldn't help but wish he wouldn't. She was feeling odd around him but couldn't mention it because he seemed cool and collected all the time.

It was 11 o'clock at night a few days later and their briefing was over. They had gone hiking that day and Draco - erm, Adam - had come back with a couple of small injuries. Apparently, Draco wasn't an outdoorsman.

At night, they were allowed to revert back to their original-selves. She stood in front of where he lay on the couch, blonde hair strewn about, blue eyes closed, right arm above his head. "Draco," she whispered. "Wake up." She knelt beside him and moved some of the hair from his eyes. "I need to clean you up."

He groaned a little before opening his eyes. "How did you make friends with Garcia's mistress?" he asked her.

"Met her shopping and told her all about life in America and how much I loved you and she was just ... taken with me," she laughed. "Now sit up. I'll go get the medication."

"What potions are you going to use?" he asked.

"No potions. I'm using muggle medicine."

Draco moaned deeply as he watched her walk out of the room. He hated muggle medicine. It always hurt. "Please don't."

"Honestly, Draco. Suck it up," she said as she walked back into the room with a basin, a towel and some hydrogen peroxide. "This is going to sting a bit," she said as she extended his leg over the basin.

He shut his eyes tightly and he felt the absolutely horrific pain of the peroxide doing its job. He tried to bite back a yelp and it came out as a whimper and a hiss. He felt the liquid running off his leg, creating a disturbing tingling feeling. He also felt the excruciating pain of the alcohol in the peroxide clinging to his deepest cut. He was about to shout at her when, all of a sudden, he felt a cool breeze calming the pain of his injury. He opened his eyes to see her on her knees blowing a stream of cool air against his burning flesh. "What are you doing?" he asked in a choked voice.

"It feels better, doesn't it?" she asked between breaths.

"Yeah," he responded as he kept his eyes trained on her lips. He preferred her when she was being herself and not Kasey Winters. He'd grown rather attached to her. His father, bless his incarcerated soul, kept reminding him that Granger was a mudblood and he would be pressing charges against the Ministry for partnering him with her. What his father didn't know, however, was the blood became unimportant to him. He'd seen so much spilled, his own included, that it was all the same to him now. "Hermione?" he asked.

"Hmm?" she asked as she looked up into his eyes.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was leaning forward and placing two fingers under her chin and directed her to look into his eyes. She leaned forward as well and their lips were nearly in contact when ...

... the buzzer rang.

"Who the bloody hell could be calling at this hour!" he shouted as she backed away from him.

"Drink your potion," she said as she drank her own.

They both quickly transformed into their American bodies and Hermione walked to the door and pulled it open. "Can I ..."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said a nervous Harry Potter. "I must have gotten ..."

"Harry," she hissed before pulling him into the room. "What in the name of Merlin are you doing here?"

"How do you ...?" he asked.

"Oh honestly!" she cried in exasperation before taking a drink of the potion that allowed her to become Hermione Granger again. "What exactly do you think you're doing here?" she asked him.

"I needed to talk to you and all the owls kept coming back. I asked around where you were and someone said you were on holiday in Italy with Malfoy." He turned to look at the other occupant of the room. He expected to see Malfoy on the couch but there was another bloke there.

"Malfoy's gone off on his own again. This is Adam Duncan. I met him at the train. He's from America."

"Nice to meet you," Adam said with a smile. "Mi's told me all about you."

"Mi?" Harry asked with a smile.

She shot Draco an odd look before turning back to Harry. "Just a pet name. I've been ... spending time ... with Adam ever since I got here."

"And what does your partner think about that?" Harry asked with a wicked grin.

"He's out messing around with some other girl. One of the ones who came on the trip with me. Kasey something or other," Adam replied.

"Where are you from?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Couldn't tell by the accent, huh? I'm from Delaware. In America."

"I know where that is," Harry said hotly.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Nothing," he replied shortly. "Is there somewhere we can talk alone?"

Hermione smiled gently at him and indicated they could talk in the bedroom. As she passed Draco she gave him a sultry look, which he took to mean that once Potter left, he'd be allowed to pick up where he left off.

"What did you need, Harry?" Hermione asked as she shut the door behind her.

"When are you coming home?" he asked bluntly.

"When my mission's over. You know that."

"When will it be over?"

"Donno," she told him. "Things are going really well right now. I think maybe another month or two."

"Can you be back by Christmas?" he asked her seriously.

"I can try, Harry, but I can't promise anything."

"Because, you know, Gin and I would really like you to stand up with us at the wedding. You can bring that Alan bloke if you want."

"His name is Adam," she corrected automatically. Then she froze. She noticed Harry's smile as she rewound what he'd said. "Wedding!" she cried. "You finally asked her and she said yes and you're doing it in," she mentally added in her head, "two months!"

"We've been engaged since right after you left," he defended.

"Fine," she said. "Three months!"

"We've waited forever. It's time."

"Bloody hell," she muttered. "Am I the last to know?"

"Actually," Harry said, "Ron doesn't know yet either. He's off with Suki in Japan and I can't get in touch with him. He's having a lovely holiday, it appears."

Hermione gave Harry a smile. It appeared that all of the Weasleys, except for the Matriarch and Patriarch (and Ginny), had a predisposition for foreigners. Bill had married Fleur, who was from France; Charlie married Donna from Romania; Percy was seeing Ilsa form Sweden; Fred was married to Angelina, who was originally from Africa; George was engaged to Maria from Spain; and now Ron was off with Suki from Japan. "How did Ginny end up being the only one to settle down with someone of English blood?" she asked.

"Donno," he smiled. "But they're sure happy. All of them." He paused a moment. "And you're with an American boy!" he laughed. "Looks like me and Gin are the only ones who aren't won over by an accent!"

"And mine thinks _I'm_ the one with the accent," she lied with a laugh.

He gave her a laugh as well and they both heard a loud bang on the door into the suite. Hermione gave Harry a look that told him to stay where he was. She walked back into the main lounge and looked at Draco. He handed her a vial and she turned into Kasey.

"Who's there?" he called in an overly-polite tone.

"It's Damien Garcia," the voice told him.

Draco gave Hermione a wicked smile and stripped down to his boxers before heading to the door. He shoved her towards the bedroom and told her to do the same thing. She gave him a laugh and did as he said. They were having far too much fun with this.

She walked back into the bedroom and gave Harry a sad smile. "Work beckons. You can use the bathroom to apparate out. I'll owl you the first chance I get ... I think Adam and I will go to Wizarding Rome."

"He's a wizard?"

"No," she smiled as she shoved him into the bathroom. "But he likes me the way I am." She gave him another smile as she closed the door. She then quickly stripped down to her tiny lingerie and pulled on a bathrobe. She looked in the mirror and jumbled up her hair a bit.

"Adam?" she asked in confusion as she walked back out into the lounge, her dressing down hanging open slightly to reveal the emerald green lace that was hidden underneath. She smiled in satisfaction as the jaws of both men slackened. Draco had no idea what he had in store for him that night. "Who is it, hun?"

"It's Mr. Garcia, Kase," came his choked answer. _Bloody hell_, he thought to himself as his eyes caught on the scrap of green lace. He quickly turned his attention back to Damien. "What can I do for you?"

"Candy and I want you two to come out again with us tomorrow. We're going to go on one of those ridiculous tours of the city and she wants your, erm, lady, to experience it."

Draco turned and raised his eyebrows at Hermione. With a smile, she approached him and placed a hand on his arm. "I think that's a wonderful idea," she told them both with a smile. "What time did she want to go?"

"Seven at night. She wants one of those fancy Rome Under the Lights tours."

"Perfect," she said with a lazy smile. "Because I don't think we'll be getting out of bed much before then." She gave him a wink and he gave her a smile before he excused himself.

For the sake of appearances, as Draco shut the door he swept Hermione up in his arms and planted one hell of a kiss on her lips. When they broke for air, Draco demanded with a growl, "Switch back. I'm so damn tired of only kissing you when you look like her."

Hermione extracted herself from his grip and walked backwards into the small kitchen, her eyes never leaving his. She grabbed two vials and made her way back to him. She drank hers and watched in awe as he gingerly placed his to his lips and took a swig.

Their eyes remained locked on each others' and he took a few steps forward. He placed his arms around her waist, his hands resting in the small of her back, and pulled her closer. He was thinking about being rough - pulling her to him and finally having that kiss he'd been aching for since they graduated from BAA. But, for some reason, his mind told him to slow down. This kiss was going to be very important.

She looked up at him with wide, dark eyes. She knew he was thinking about how he was going to kiss her: hard and rough or soft and sultry. She saw in his eyes that he made a decision. She shut her eyes and trusted him to be careful and not hurt her.

His lips came closer to hers and his eyes slid shut. When his face was a mere centimeter from hers, an explosion was heard and the lights went out. He threw her down on the ground and covered her body with his. They heard some children screaming - which made her file away that she needed to use a contraceptive charm - and then another banging on the door. "Mr. Duncan? Miss Winters? Are you okay in there?"

"Yes," Draco shouted back in his own voice. "I'll be to the door in a moment." He cast a crappy glamour on himself since he didn't have time to feel around for his pants with the vial in it. He looked almost exactly the same. The only thing that didn't change was the length of his hair. He scowled as he ran his fingers over it. Hermione cast a glamour as well and everything changed but the texture of hers; she still had curly hair.

Draco pulled open the door with a smile on his face. One of the butlers stood there with a flashlight in his hand. "Sorry about the power," the man said in a British accent. "We've lost one of the power stations in the area."

"That's quite okay," Hermione said as she came up behind Draco, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her head against the side of his arm. "Light isn't really necessary for the activities we have planned for tonight."

The butler had the decency to blush as he reminded them that there were candles in the bathroom before he scurried down the hall.

Draco turned around and his eyes locked on hers again. She shook her head and the glamour fell off. He followed suit. He slammed the door behind them and took her into his arms again. "I swear to Merlin, Granger, that I will kiss you at least once without interruption," he growled.

"Why are you telling me then? You're just wasting time."

With the winning Malfoy smirk firmly planted on his face, he leaned in and brushed his lips gently across hers. He pulled back to see her eyes still shut. He couldn't control himself. With another growl, he leaned back in and hungrily captured her mouth. This kiss was nothing like the first. It wasn't gentle and he had absolutely no intention of allowing it to be short.

Hermione moved her arms around his shoulders and neck and drew herself as close to him as she could possibly get. She'd been waiting years for the moment she would be able to feel this. It seemed they would always make the effort but always come up short. She'd kissed him as several different women and he'd kissed her as a few different men, but this was the first time they were themselves when the kissing was taking place.

Still in their bathrobes, it didn't take long until they were both standing their in just their undergarments, having been stripped of said robe by the other person. Hermione, much to Draco's surprise and pleasure, did not even attempt to cover herself up.

"Damn, Granger," Malfoy swore as he leaned down to place his lips on her neck. She moaned a little as he moved further south and to the swell of her breasts. "This has been ..."

"A long time coming," she finished as she pulled his lips up to meet hers. She nibbled gently at his bottom lip and another growl came from his throat before he opened his mouth to her and allowed his tongue to enter her mouth.

The two of them spent quite some time just snogging in the lounge. When Draco made to remove her bra, she stopped him with a smile. "Put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and come to bed," she said in a seductive voice. She stood from the couch - which they had been reclining and snogging on for about half an hour - and made her way back to the bedroom. He quickly did what he was told and ran after her with a huge smile on his face. He shocked himself when he thought not _I'm going to bed Granger_ but instead found himself thinking _I'm going to make love with Hermione_.

And he did just that. Three times.

---

She woke up the next morning and tried to shift. She smirked when she felt his arms tighten around her. "What are you doing?" she whispered in question.

"Mmm," he mumbled as he placed a kiss to her bare shoulder. "I'm making sure you don't escape."

"Maybe I have to use the loo," she said seriously.

"Do you?" he asked in the same tone.

"Nope!" she giggled as she caught him off guard and threw herself on top of him. She pressed her lips to his and they both got lost in the sensations of only a tiny sheet separating their naked bodies.

"Think you're funny, do you?" he asked playfully as he flopped her onto her back and crawled on top of her. "Catching me off guard like that would usually leave you stunned or dead," he smiled.

"Wouldn't be much fun for you if I was either, would it?" she replied cheekily.

"You'd have shut up for once," he said as he trailed kisses from her ear to her neck, to her collarbone. He gave her that wicked Malfoy smirk and dropped below the sheet. Just as he was about to reach his ultimate destination, they heard a loud bang from the lounge.

"What was that?" Hermione asked softly.

"Donno," Draco responded. When another bang sounded he reached to the floor for his boxer shorts and pulled them up. He grabbed his wand and motioned for her to stay put. He opened the door to the bedroom slightly and peered out into the lounge. What, or more accurately who, he saw standing there shocked the hell out of him. "Father?"

"Do you have any idea how bloody long it took me to find you? Merlin, Draco! I've been to every bloody hotel in the country."

"Wh ... H ... What are you doing here? How did you find us?" Draco asked.

"Us?" Lucius Malfoy asked with a raised eyebrow. He heard a shuffling in the bedroom and his own wicked smirk crossed his face. "Having it off while on holiday? I'd like to meet her!" Lucius said with a loud chuckle.

Hermione, upon hearing Draco's father's voice, took a vial from the bed stand and drank it quickly. Feigning a sleepy voice, she wrapped the sheet around her naked body and padded slowly into the lounge. "Draco?" she asked with a yawn. Her red hair was slightly askew and her American voice was tinged with sleep. "Who's there?"

"My father, love," he responded.

"Oh," she said as she stopped dead and clutched the sheet tighter to her body.

Lucius got a predatory smile on his face as he sidled up to her slowly. "Hello, my dear," he said. "And what would your name be?"

"Kasey Winters, sir," she said with a slight bow. "Draco's told me of your power and prestige, sir," she said when he raised an inquiring eyebrow. "I wouldn't want to get off on the wrong foot."

"Kasey," Draco smiled as he came around her and put a hand on her waist. "Why don't you go throw some clothes on, love?"

She gave him a demure smile that simply shouted Because I was hoping we could shag again! and moved back into the bedroom.

"An American muggle?" Lucius hissed.

"She's a witch," Draco responded.

"How can you be sure?" he asked.

"Used her magic last night," he told his father as he displayed his trademark Malfoy smirk.

"What spell did she use?" Lucius asked with a raised brow.

"Contraceptive charm," Draco smirked.

Both men gave a hearty laugh. Lucius did not notice the deep exhalation that his son let out though.

They could hear the young woman turn on the shower. "She's probably a bit sore," Draco told his father.

"First time?" asked Lucius with his brow raised again.

"First three times with a Malfoy," he said, as if that explained everything.

For Lucius, it apparently did. "So. Where did you meet her?"

"In a pub. She was all hacked off about some git named Adam. So, I did what any good Malfoy would do. I seduced her and bedded her. Three times."

"You've only known her since yesterday?" Lucius frowned.

"The seduction took a bit longer than I expected, Father," Draco snapped. "I _am_ here on assignment. While having it off with some sexy American witch is something nice, I have to do my work as well."

Hermione came from the bedroom a few moments later in a short black skirt and a black tank top. Her red hair was pulled back into a neat bun and she had just a bit of make-up on. "What would you men like for breakfast?" she asked as she moved into the kitchen. She flipped on the coffee maker and opened the fridge.

"Eggs sound great," Draco told her.

"Whatever you make, my dear, will be splendid, I'm sure," Lucius answered. As they both watched the redhead move about in the kitchen, Lucius turned to his son. "Where's Granger?"

"No idea. She didn't come back last night," he said with a shrug. "Probably out having it off with some random bloke."

"Now now, Draco," his father drawled. "Don't be mean. We don't want her kidnapped. We want her dead."

Hermione froze in the kitchen. She _needed_ to hear his response to that. She knew he was a great liar, but some part of her wanted him to be affected by those words.

"She's a good partner," Draco said defensively.

"She's a filthy mudblood," his father spat. "And I'd better never hear you defend her again. If I do, you'll rue the day you were born, boy."

Hermione let out a sigh. In that moment, she realized that nothing could ever come of her and Draco. _Might as well end it now._ She prepared the eggs for them and then gave Draco a kiss on the lips. "I'd better get going. My husband will wonder where I've gotten to."

"Husband?" cried Lucius as Draco just eyed her warily.

"Of three years," she smiled. "He probably thinks I went out with the girls last night and passed out in one of their rooms." She gave Draco another kiss, this one long and sensuous. "I've had a great time these past few weeks. Good luck." She then looked into his eyes and conveyed exactly what she was thinking. I'm getting a room alone. This can't happen. I'm sorry. And, in the blink of an eye, she walked out of the door.

"Did you know she was married?" Lucius asked a few moments later.

Draco just gave a shrug. "I knew she had a bloke on the side but I didn't see a ring and, frankly, I didn't care. I wanted her so I had her."

Lucius gave him a slight smile, as if he were proud, and then continued to eat. "If she wasn't married, I would suggest you keep that one."

Draco smiled sadly as he looked down into his eggs. "Oh, I was thinking of it." He shrugged in indifference. "Too bad though."

The men chatted quietly for a while before Draco said, "I thought you weren't supposed to get out until Boxing Day."

"Good behavior," Lucius smirked. Nothing more was said on the matter.

---

"Excuse me," Draco said as he approached the front desk a few hours later, "Can you please tell me which room Kasey Winters checked into?" He was back in his disguise and looked troubled.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Duncan. Ms. Winters asked that you not know her location in the hotel," the young woman responded in a thick Italian accent.

"Please," he begged. "I know she's mad at me. But I love her and I have to have a chance to make this right. If you have any compassion at all, any idea of what love is and can do, you'll tell me where I can find her. I need to make it up to her."

The young woman stared at him for a moment before clicking away on her computer. She slid him a room key and whispered, "Good luck."

Draco flashed her an award-winning smile and jetted for Room 354.

When he got there, he sorted himself out and knocked on the door. There were people in the hallway so he decided to play it safe. "Kasey? Kasey, it's Adam. Let me in please."

"Go away," called a soft voice from behind the door. "We can't do this anymore. It won't work."

"We can make it work," he pleaded. "You have to give me a chance to make it work."

"He hates me and will never accept me into his home," she told him.

"We'll make our own home," he said with a strained voice. "I don't want to lose you over him."

"Face it, Adam," she told him. "This isn't ever going to work. He'll find you if you're with me. He'll hurt you."

"I won't let him touch you," he said softly.

"I'm not worried about me," she replied. "I'm worried about you. Please. We have enough information. Let's just go home and forget it all."

"I don't want to forget it all!" he shouted at the door. Some people down the hall stopped but he was oblivious to them. "I want to remember it. Every second of it right until you walked out that door."

"It can't happen," she said with finality. She was crying - as she had been for hours - at the thought of leaving him. "You know it'll never work."

"You have to give me a chance!"

"We've had our chance. We didn't take it soon enough," she whispered from just the other side of the door. "He's out now. He knows where you are at all times. He'll kill you."

"Don't give up on me!" he shouted. He wanted to call her by her real name. He couldn't just stand there and confess his love for someone who wasn't real. "Hermione," he whispered softly. "Let me in the door."

"I'm afraid of what will happen if I do," she whispered back.

"You think I'm going to hurt you?" he asked.

"No," she responded. "I think I might just give in if I have to look at you."

"Please don't leave me standing in the middle of the hallway. Let me in and let me see it in your eyes that you don't want to be with me."

"You won't see that in my eyes and that's why I won't let you in. You'll know," she whispered painfully.

"I'll know what?" he asked as he pressed his face to the door, resting his heated cheek against the cool wood.

"You'll know that I don't ever want to leave you and ... and that I ... I ..."

"You what?" he whispered. He thought he knew what she was trying to say but he needed to hear her say it.

"I can't say it to you. I have to say it to him."

"Who's him?" Draco asked.

"Draco," she whispered. "I have to say it to Draco."

"Let me in, Hermione. You can say it to me. I can switch back."

"I don't want to say it because then it becomes real."

"Don't lock me out," he said. "Let me in and make it real. I want to hear what you have to say and I have something I want to tell you."

"I don't want to hear it," she whispered through a sob. "I wouldn't be able to walk away if you said it."

"I'll say it now then."

"Don't," she pleaded. "It can't be made real."

"Open the door."

"No."

"Open the damn door," he said a little stronger. "I just want to talk to you."

"Talking will get us in a whole world of trouble," Hermione responded in Kasey's voice.

"I welcome the trouble it will bring if I can just say these three words. Three simple words, love."

"They're not simple," she said back.

"But they're true." There was no noise until he heard the click of the lock. He realized that he could have gotten in if he wanted to. He had a key in his hands. He shook himself out of it as he saw the door open and was welcomed with the sight of her tear-streaked face. "Change back, please," he nearly begged as he stepped in and shut the door behind him. He sipped his own vial and turned back into the blonde she had come to feel so much for. His stomach flipped when he watched her turn back into the bushy-haired woman he had come to love. "What did you want to say?" he asked softly.

"I don't want to say it."

"I need to hear it."

"I can't let you," she whispered again.

He couldn't stand it any longer. He took two large strides and gathered her into his strong arms. "I love you," he whispered. When she tried to pull away he merely tightened his hold on her. He looked down into her deep brown eyes and repeated, "I love you. I don't care what he says."

"That's a death sentence," she told him.

"What did you need to say?" he asked while ignoring her pervious statement.

"Draco," she whispered as she leaned against his chest.

He felt her tears soak his shirt and he wished he could do something to make it right. He held her tighter and rubbed one hand up her back and the other through her hair. "Tell me, Hermione," he commanded in a soft voice.

"I fell in love with you. I didn't mean to ... but I did. And now I have to leave you. I can't put you in that position." She tried to push herself away from him, a heavy weight resting inside her chest, but he just held her close.

"Please don't run away from me, Hermione. You're not alone in the love thing. I love you too. You have to understand that. Come hell or high water, I love you and I don't ever want to let you go."

"He'll kill you. I don't want you to die because of this. I can't ... I can't let you throw away your life for me. I can't and I won't. Now please, Draco, if you really do love me, just leave."

"You know, Draco," drawled the voice of Lucius Malfoy from just inside the doorway, "she really is brighter than I gave her credit for."

"How'd you find me?" Draco asked as he placed himself between his father and Hermione.

"What happened to your American girlfriend?" he asked.

"It was me," Hermione said from behind Draco. He gave her a shocked look but she continued, "It's my work disguise. It was me the whole time."

"I watched a mudblood kiss my son?" Lucius gasped.

"You showed up right before your son and his _girlfriend _were about to make love," Draco said defiantly. "For the fourth time in less than 24 hours."

"She's not your girlfriend," Lucius spat. "I'll not allow it."

"I don't care what you want," Draco returned. "I love her and I won't let you tell me what to do anymore."

Lucius, with a sick smile on his face, drew his wand. "You will," he said confidently. Instead of pointing it at Draco, however, he had the tip aimed directly at Hermione. "I can kill her."

"I'll block it."

"You can't block the killing curse," his father sneered.

"No," Draco said as he positioned himself in front of Hermione. "But I can take it for her and protect her from you for the rest of her life."

"No!" Hermione screamed as she shoved him out of the way. "I won't let you." She was breathing in short pants and looked as if she was either going to lose her lunch or pass out. "Leave him alone and I'll disappear."

"Hermione!" Draco shouted at her.

Ignoring him, she turned back to Lucius. "I'll leave and never come back if you make an unbreakable vow to me that he'll not be harmed by you or any of your friends or followers."

"What makes you think I'll agree to that?" Lucius asked with interest.

"You want me gone just enough to be willing to," she replied in confidence.

"And you'll be gone for good?' Lucius asked.

"A vow for a vow," she responded. "I'll leave forever as long as he's not harmed."

"You know the vow will break if you're killed. The I can do whatever I want with him."

Hermione cocked her head at him and regarded him carefully. "I can say the same for you."

"No one can kill me. My time in Azkaban made me stronger," Lucius said proudly.

"You can't kill someone if you can't find them," she stated. "So, do we have a deal or not?"

Draco, sick of just watching this struggle for power between his lover and his father, decided to step in. "Why do you care so much what I do!" Draco shouted at his father. "You've never cared before."

"You're a blood traitor. Just like those filthy Weasleys. You've disgraced the family."

"Then shun me! Burn me from the family tree! I don't care! I love her! Can't you understand that!"

"She'll never be a proper woman," Lucius hissed.

"Who wants proper? I fell in love with her exactly as she is," Draco told his father.

"I don't understand how," Lucius responded as he turned his nose up.

"Mother happens to enjoy Hermione's company. She's been over for dinner many times in your absence."

"Mudbloods in my home?" Lucius snarled.

"Oh yes," Draco smiled. "Many, many times. And, just think," he said dramatically. "Once we get back from this mission, she'll be in my bed in your manor."

"Draco!" Hermione hissed.

"She's not going to be able to get in," Lucius hissed.

"I think you're wrong there, Mr. Malfoy," Hermione said, taking both men by surprise.

"And why is that?" he asked.

"I helped Narcissa change the wards," she said smugly. "You can't get in and ... I can."

As Lucius lunged for Hermione, she drew her wand and stunned him. "I've been looking for an excuse to do that since he showed up," she admitted.

"Leave him here," Draco said as he wrapped his arms around her. "Let's go home."

"Home to upstairs or home to England?"

"England, love. We've done our job and now it's time to move to the next step."

"What's the next step?" she asked in a whisper.

"Making proper love to you in every room of Malfoy Manor," he said with a seductive tone.

She giggled and clung tight to him. Before she knew it, they were standing in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor. The clicking of heels alerted them to Mrs. Malfoy's arrival. "Draco! Hermione! Lucius is out of prison! You must ..." she paused when she looked at them. "He found you." She looked around but did not notice her husband. "Where is he?"

"Stunned in a hotel room in Rome," Hermione responded.

"You told him about the wards then?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Draco responded with a smile as he pulled Hermione tighter to him. "He knows everything."

"Looks like you two have become quite close," Narcissa acknowledged with a raised brow.

"Closer than you think," her son told her seriously.

"So, you're together now, I take it?"

Hermione and Draco both nodded.

"Well, you know what they say," Narcissa started.

"When in Rome ..." Draco laughed before kissing Hermione right there in the entrance hall.


End file.
